African Safari

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic

IMDb: 7.3

2013

83min

In the 1970s, Richard Pryor dropped like a bomb into the sanitized landscape of American television. Raised in his grandmother’s Illinois bordello, he became famous for his expletive-filled stand-up routines about the black man trying to survive in the land of whiteys. His transition to television was stormy, and he had to battle to get every scene past the censors. The sacrifices he made to the white establishment contributed to a self-loathing that plagued him throughout adulthood. Seven marriages, and chronic drug abuse fueled endless media interest — as did Pryor’s setting himself on fire whilst freebasing cocaine. A string of friends including Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams recount how whenever Pryor was poised on the brink of mega success, his behavior would sabotage him — for most people to understand the comic legend you need to “omit the logic”. CN

Brand: A Second Coming

IMDb: 5.8

2015

105min

Comic Russell Brand uses drugs, sex and fame in a quest for happiness, only to find it remains elusive. As he explores iconic figures such as Gandhi, Malcolm X, Che Guevara, and Jesus, he transforms himself into a political antagonist.

Mali Blues

IMDb: 6.8

2016

90min

Mali’s Music defines the country’s cultural identity. Radical Islamists are threatening the musicians. Together with the stars of Malian Global Pop – Fatoumata Diawara, Bassekou Kouyaté Master Soumy and Ahmed Ag Kaedi – we embark on a musical journey to Mali’s agitated heart. Can their music reconcile the country? IMDB